A masher is a kitchen implement used to break up potatoes to make mashed potatoes. The potato masher is grasped by a handle and moved in an up and down fashion to break up the potato.
A potato masher is usually formed with wooden or plastic handles and is provided with a metal mashing element.
Metal mashing elements have provided long service life since the metal mashing elements rarely break. However, with the introduction of porcelain cookware and/or nonstick coated cookware, traditional metal mashers have become less useful since the metal mashing element can cause surface scratches or otherwise destroy the surface of the cookware. Further, the metal mashing elements tend to rust or tarnish after repeated use and cleaning.
Potato mashers such as these require a shank to connect the handle to the mashing element because of the different materials used to manufacture the different elements.
Use of different materials thus affects durability. After repeated use, the connection section often becomes loose thus causing the mashing element to dislodge from the handle, often during use.
Attempts have been made to use plastics to form the mashing element; however, plastic mashing elements have proved less durable than metal mashing elements and still require use of a shank to connect the mashing element to a handle.
The configuration of traditional potato mashers tends to make cleaning of the mashing element difficult. After repeated use, food can become trapped in the mashing element.
In addition, the materials used to form the potato masher must be compatible with food. The mashing element must be sufficiently stable to avoid migration of any of the material from the mashing element to the food being handled and must satisfy regulations for use with food set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
It has recently become necessary for kitchen implements to have the capacity to operate in a microwave environment. It has been discovered that polyetherimides and, in particular, polyetherimides bearing the grade designation Ultem.RTM.1000 and Ultem.RTM.1010 are virtually unaffected by microwave radiation.